Sorry if this question has been asked before. I could get the search function to .. umm function. :oops:

Anyway the question:
Is it possible to get the built-in AUX jack to work with a after market head unit. specifically the Clarion ProAudio DXZ735MP CD/MP3 Receiver.
The receiver claims to have aux in on the back but they are RCA and the connecter are not compatible. Is there a harness I can get to adapt the two together or and I just outta luck? Would I have to cut the harness in my car to splice the wires?
Also interested in an adapter to allow the stock subwoofer to work.

Thanks.
ME

Haven't dealt with the aux connector yet.

For the subwoofer, connector, I used the following hack job to get it to work (if I recall correctly), perhaps this approach can work with both:

- A standard stereo RCA patch cord.
- Two left over, but new, resistors from a bulk strip (you can buy a handful at radio shack of course)
- Four of the smallest (red/high gauge) butt connectors (you've seen 'em before, these things: http://www.crowbarelectricalparts.com/Butt_Connectors.htm )
- Electrical tape.

1. Cut one end (two male connectors) off the RCA patch cord, and cut and stripped the ends as appropriate.
2. Trim the leads off of the resistors to make some stiff "pins" for the subwoofer connector.
3. Crimp the trimmed leads into one side of the butt connectors, with enough sitting outside the housing to go the appropriate depth into the subwoofer connector - you might need to trim some plastic around that end of the butt connector.
4. Crimp the cut ends of the patch cord to the other side of the butt connectors.
5. Assemble the four pins into the appropriate four holes. Note that the plastic of the butt connectors helps to isolate the pins.
6. Go mad with the electrical tape.
7. When done, you might want to zip tie the monstrosity somewhere back behind the dash to limit the movement.

-brendan

[EDIT: I believe I misstated the # of connections above. Thinking about it more, the subwoofer connector only has one channel, not two, so you might want to decide if you want to use the Left, Right or L+R by tying the grounds and signals together before attaching the butt connectors on the head unit side.]

I just had very good luck using tapping into the AUX input on the stock head unit using E-Mass's diagram and A post from Brendan. Your task, although the exact opposite, is probably very similar.

I would ASSUME that you could follow the diagram to do what you need. Get 2 male RCA plugs with bare wire hanging, connect the grounds together then to the green wire. Connect the right + to the brown wire, left + to the white wire. You'd then plug the 2 RCA's to the input on your receiver. I think, in your case, you would ignore all of the other wires. (I had to short the blue and yellow, apparently to allow the stock head to recognize an external device, but that is not a concern of yours)

Keep in mind, I've never done this, just ASSUMING (you know what happens when you assume) that based on my experience, this should work.

I used Brendan's suggestion and it worked perfectly. Now the Aux & sub work with my aftermarket Kenwood head unit. I did not even have to short the blue & yellow wires to get the aux jack working. The three connections were all I needed.

[quote:e0671a5e07=" "]I used Brendan's suggestion and it worked perfectly. Now the Aux & sub work with my aftermarket Kenwood head unit. I did not even have to short the blue & yellow wires to get the aux jack working. The three connections were all I needed.[/quote:e0671a5e07]

Awesome Corey. Nice to know I can pull directions out of my rear and still have them work. :)

The blue & yellow wire shorting is simply to tell the stock EX headunit to automaticall switch to and from the aux connector. If your head unit had an "aux sense" port (I can't think of any that do), then perhaps those two wires would be useful.

-brendan

Hey,
thanks all for the great directions. We are working on the solution as we speak. However my HU comes with two RCA out for the subwoofer (fading, I guess). Can I just ignor one of them and only plug my subwoofer into one of the jacks.
Cory, did you run into this issue?
Thanks again.

I think I used a y-cable (which has its +'s and -'s, no pun intended) to convert the stereo sub channels to a mono sub channel in my E.

-brendan

My aux works, my subwoofer works and the only hitch in the whole proceedure was that I miswired the main harness the first time. :oops:
Thanks for the help guys.
Me and my (much louder) Brick are very happy.

Brick: I just connected the left RCA jack to the sub. It worked great.

Let's give it up to Brendan for the GREAT suggestion!!! :o :lol: :o :lol:

Thanks.

-brendan

Brendan - if you put together a post clearly detailing the aux and sub wiring i'll make it sticky.

eMass - That's "Work"! Ok, give me a few days, I'll see what I can do. It'll be words only, I'm not so hot with the drawing tools.

-brendan

Sweet! Another cool EMass Audio Sticky! :lol:

edit: posted to the wrong thread. my bad. :)